The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens Hawkeri, commercially known as New Guinea Impatiens, and known by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Ovation Salmon Pink Swirlsxe2x80x99. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls was developed in a controlled breeding program by crossing Mikkelsen Seedling No. 95-1105-9 (seed parent) with Mikkelsen Seedling No. 95-1105-1 (pollen parent). Both parents are proprietary breeding lines which have not been sold or made publicly available in this country.
Asexual reproduction carried out by the inventor in Lompoc, Calif. by terminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.
The following combination of characteristics distinguish the new Impatiens from both its parent varieties and other cultivated Impatiens of this type known and used in the floriculture industry:
1. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has flowers colored Red Group 43C, Harmony Peach (unpatented) has Red Group 52C flowers, and Celebration Light Salmon (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,213) has Red Group 48B flowers. All three have Orange Group 27D in the center of the flower, each with a different pattern.
2. Both Harmony Peach and Celebration Light Salmon have carmine coloration at the center of the flower, while Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls does not.
3. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has a larger flower diameter (7.0 to 7.5 cm) than both Harmony Peach and Celebration Light Salmon (6.0 to 6.5 cm).
4. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has a mounded growth habit while Harmony Peach is more upright with Celebration Light Salmon being upright and taller growing.
5. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has deep green leaves, Harmony Peach has lighter green leaves, and Celebration Light Salmon having lighter green, variegated leaves.
6. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has shorter leaves (7 to 8 cm long), while Celebration Light Salmon has longer leaves (8 to 9 cm), and Harmony Peach has the longest leaves (11 to 12 cm).
7. The spur of Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls is light red-purple with a green tip which his 3.5 cm in length, as compared to Celebration Light Salmon, which is a deep red-purple with a green tip and 4.5 to 5.0 cm long, and Harmony Peach, which his lighter red-purple with a red-purple tip and 4.5 to 5.0 cm long.
8. Pedicels on Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls are green, while the pedicels on Celebration Light Salmon and Harmony Peach have a red-purple cast.
9. Ovation Salmon Pink Swirls has an intermediate amount of red pigmentation in the stem, while Celebration Light Salmon has less, and Harmony Peach has more.